This invention relates generally to talking toys and, more particularly, to toys that pronounce various phrases when the user activates the toy.
Toys that make sounds have been known for a long time and they have always been interesting for children. Latest technological achievements have been used in the industry to enable these toys to pronounce different phrases and imitate voices of people and tales characters. The number of phrases and audible messages can be rather big.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,038 issued to Arad, et al, 1994 shows a talking doll that speaks when particular parts of its body are pressed. The body of the doll is a housing that comprises storage means for storing prerecorded audible speech messages, speaker means for playing these messages, and a set of switches. The switches are pressure sensitive, and certain parts of doll""s body are pressed to activate switches in order to produce words and other sounds that are prerecorded in storage means. The message choice is determined by the switch the user presses. There is also a mode in which a sequence of pressing on one or on several switches causes reproduction of a sequence of corresponding messages.
The limitation of this device is that pressure on certain parts of doll""s head and body always results in playback of the same messages. This feature is certainly good for educating a child. But in play the doll that gives the same verbal reaction to every touch will soon become boring.
The prior art provides several solutions to this problem. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,607, 336 to Lebensfeld, et al, 1997, exposes a doll or an action figure, in which it is possible to replace toy""s memory with a set of messages along with replacing doll""s cloths.
So the messages played back by the toy correspond to profession represented by the cloths the doll or action figure is wearing. This solution makes playing with the talking doll more versatile and helps to enlarge child""s knowledge.
This device, however, has its own limitation. Once the message memory is installed in the doll, the pressure on every of the switches every time produces the same message. Messages reproduced do not depend on surrounding conditions, or time of the day. Completely predetermined character of messages has too little in common with real life context.
There were several attempts made to overcome this limitation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,961 issued to Sharpe, et al, 2000, discloses an electronic toy that includes a reprogrammable data storage device. The device comprises a base unit having a movable part, an electromechanical actuator, an audio output device, a digital processing device being in electrical communication with electromechanical actuator and with audio output device, a reprogrammable data storage device for selectively storing program data and sound data and a data input port for selectively receiving program data, control data and audio data from an external data source and for routing commands from an external source to digital processing device.
This invention allows to record from an external source that can be a regular PC a toy functioning program and a set of audible messages for reproduction in toy storage device. Toy functioning is possible both, when the toy is connected to a PC and, autonomously, when a toy is controlled by the recorded program. This program and commands put in by the user determine message playback and actions of the toy. This makes it possible for the user, for example for a parent, to make playing with this toy more versatile and improve its educational and entertainment features.
However, message reproduction is also predetermined in this toy and it is not connected with environment conditions, time of the day and other factors. The lack of these features limits consumer advantages of the toy.
Thus, to create the new generation talking toys, the limitations set forth above should be overcome and a device should be created that would provide a better imitation model of people and tale characters behavior.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a talking toy that when affected by the user would reproduce prerecorded audible messages and the choice of a message would depend on permanent features of toy""s character, on the type of user interaction, on surrounding temperature and other environment conditions, as well as on a random factor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a talking toy in which the method of choosing reproduced audible messages would allow to a certain extend to imitate different people and tale characters personalities, their reaction to external influence and to environment, changes in their mood during the day.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a talking toy with a possibility to change by simple means and manipulations the set of reproduced audible messages as well as the pattern that determines the choice of an audible message for reproduction under different types of activation by the user and under different environment conditions.
The further object of the present invention is to provide a possibility to diversify by simple technical means personalities of toys belonging to the same group that will increase the consumer demand for toys.
The further object of the present invention is to provide the possibility to use same electronic blocks in toys of different types that will allow to reduce product costs in the result of unification of toys parts.
The following object of the present invention is to provide a talking toy that in switched-on mode would reproduce audible messages not only when affected by the user, but also, when the user does not interact with the toy, it will deliver messages in time intervals that change depending on current time of the day.
All these and other objects of the inventions are met in the talking toy that is described in full detail below. The operation of the device is based on the choice of prerecorded set of messages. The choice of a message is made depending on permanent features set for the given toy, on current time of the day, on environment conditions, on type of interaction with the user, and on a random factor.